African countries face unprecedented challenges of defining a future development pathway in a resource- and carbon-constrained world. This book addresses this challenge, with special reference to the set of infrastructure that most African countries require to meet the sustainable development goals and fulfil the aspirations of Agenda 2063. Infrastructure is a key factor that determines how resource and energy flow and transform through socio-economic systems. Decisions made today by African countries on their infrastructural configuration will determine the inclusivity, resource intensity and climate resilience of their development pathways for decades to come. This book is a product of a two‑year research conducted by a group of African scholars who have an extensive academic and practical experience on the development of key infrastructure sectors in Africa.

Sustainable infrastructure development is vital for Africa s prosperity. And now is the time to begin the transformation. This volume is the culmination of an unprecedented effort to document, analyze, and interpret the full extent of the challenge in developing Sub-Saharan Africa s infrastructure sectors. As a result, it represents the most comprehensive reference currently available on infrastructure in the region. The book covers the five main economic infrastructure sectors information and communication technology, irrigation, power, transport, and water and sanitation. 'Africa s Infrastructure: A Time for Transformation' reflects the collaboration of a wide array of African regional institutions and development partners under the auspices of the Infrastructure Consortium for Africa. It presents the findings of the Africa Infrastructure Country Diagnostic (AICD), a project launched following a commitment in 2005 by the international community (after the G8 summit at Gleneagles, Scotland) to scale up financial support for infrastructure development in Africa. The lack of reliable information in this area made it difficult to evaluate the success of past interventions, prioritize current allocations, and provide benchmarks for measuring future progress, hence the need for the AICD. Africa s infrastructure sectors lag well behind those of the rest of the world, and the gap is widening. Some of the main policy-relevant findings highlighted in the book include the following: infrastructure in the region is exceptionally expensive, with tariffs being many times higher than those found elsewhere. Inadequate and expensive infrastructure is retarding growth by 2 percentage points each year. Solving the problem will cost over US$90 billion per year, which is more than twice what is being spent in Africa today. However, money alone is not the answer. Prudent policies, wise management, and sound maintenance can improve efficiency, thereby stretching the infrastructure dollar. There is the potential to recover an additional US$17 billion a year from within the existing infrastructure resource envelope simply by improving efficiency. For example, improved revenue collection and utility management could generate US$3.3 billion per year. Regional power trade could reduce annual costs by US$2 billion. And deregulating the trucking industry could reduce freight costs by one-half. So, raising more funds without also tackling inefficiencies would be like pouring water into a leaking bucket. Finally, the power sector and fragile states represent particular challenges. Even if every efficiency in every infrastructure sector could be captured, a substantial funding gap of $31 billion a year would remain. Nevertheless, the African people and economies cannot wait any longer. Now is the time to begin the transformation to sustainable development.

African countries face unprecedented challenges of defining a future development pathway in a resource- and carbon-constrained world. This book addresses this challenge, with special reference to the set of infrastructure that most African countries require to meet the sustainable development goals and fulfil the aspirations of Agenda 2063. Infrastructure is a key factor that determines how resource and energy flow and transform through socio-economic systems. Decisions made today by African countries on their infrastructural configuration will determine the inclusivity, resource intensity and climate resilience of their development pathways for decades to come. This book is a product of a two‑year research conducted by a group of African scholars who have an extensive academic and practical experience on the development of key infrastructure sectors in Africa.

This edited volume explores and dissects Africa's economic growth and sustainable development using an optimal conceptual model of the progressive continent's development up to and until 2030. Africa is studied not against the background of developed (OECD) and leading developing (e.g. BRICS) countries, but as a separate economy and as a self-sufficient region which follows its own priorities, and implements its own unique opportunities and vectors of growth and development. This volume addresses the contemporary and topical issues of inclusive growth, digital modernisation, and sustainable development, recommending policy outcomes for the future.

Good infrastructure is essential for socio-economic growth and sustainable development. Safe and accessible water supplies, reliable energy, good transport networks and communications technology are all vital to a region’s development agenda. This book presents a comprehensive exploration of the state of infrastructure in Africa and provides an integrated analysis of the challenges the sector faces, based on extensive fieldwork across the continent. Contributors with a wide range of expertise challenge current policy, practice and thinking on issues including the politics of infrastructure development, social inclusion, domestic resource mobilisation and infrastructure financing. The book will be an important resource for academic researchers, students and early career development professionals as well as policymakers and NGOs engaged in dialoguing the infrastructure development options for Africa.

Scientific Essay from the year 2013 in the subject Economics - Case Scenarios, , language: English, abstract: This work X-rays the multidimensional relationship that occurs between infrastructure and economic development, evidence from Nigeria. The work develops an intuitive theory with a framework which examines this relationship by recognizing various channels through which infrastructure possibly affects development: as a factor of production, as a complementary significant factor of production, a stimulus to factor buildup, a stimulus to aggregate demand and an instrument to industrial policy. A framework is developed for evaluating and analyzing the theory of this relationship, which explores the implications of diverse definitions and measures of infrastructure on economic development. Empirical literature is then evaluated against this framework.

The Africa Infrastructure Country Diagnostic is an unprecedented attempt to collect comprehensive data on the infrastructure sectors in Africa -- covering power, transport, irrigation, water and sanitation, and information and communication technology (ICT) -- and to provide an integrated analysis of the challenges they face. Based on extensive fieldwork across Africa, the following main findings have emerged:• Infrastructure has been responsible for more than half of Africa's recent improved growth performance and has the potential to contribute even more in the future.• Africa's infrastructure networks increasingly lag behind those of other developing countries and are characterized by missing regional links and stagnant household access.• Africa's difficult economic geography presents a particular challenge for the region's infrastructure development.• Africa's infrastructure services are twice as expensive as elsewhere, reflecting both diseconomies of scale in production and high profit margins caused by lack of competition.• Power is by far Africa's largest infrastructure challenge, with 30 countries facing regularpower shortages and many paying high premiums for emergency power.• The cost of addressing Africa's infrastructure needs is around $93 billion a year, aboutone-third of which is for maintenance -- more than twice the Commission for Africa's (2005) estimate.• The infrastructure challenge varies greatly by country type--fragile states face animpossible burden and resource-rich countries lag despite their wealth.• A large share of Africa's infrastructure is domestically financed, with the central governmentbudget being the main driver of infrastructure investment.• Even if major potential efficiency gains are captured, Africa would still face an infrastructurefunding gap of $31 billion a year, mainly in power.